Nemesia caerula cultivar xe2x80x98Nemplumxe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Nemesia plant, botanically known as Nemesia caerula and referred to by the name xe2x80x98Nemplumxe2x80x99.
The new Nemesia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Auckland, New Zealand. The objective of the program is to create new compact Nemesia cultivars with numerous flowers and unique flower colors.
The new Nemesia originated from a cross by the Inventor of the Nemesia caerula cultivar xe2x80x98Monkey Bumxe2x80x99, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Nemesia caerula cultivar xe2x80x98RCU 1xe2x80x99, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent on or about Oct. 30, 1998. The cultivar xe2x80x98Nemplumxe2x80x99 was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Auckland, New Zealand on or about Apr. 16, 1999.
Asexual reproduction of the new Nemesia by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Auckland, New Zealand since September, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Nemesia are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Nemesia has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of xe2x80x98Nemplumxe2x80x99 and distinguish xe2x80x98Nemplumxe2x80x99 as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit.
3. Small green leaves.
4. Numerous dark purple-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the female parent, the cultivar xe2x80x98Monkey Bumxe2x80x99, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Nemesia have darker green leaves than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Monkey Bumxe2x80x99.
2. Plants of the new Nemesia have dark purple-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Monkey Bumxe2x80x99 have light purple-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Nemesia differ primarily from plants of the male parent, the cultivar xe2x80x98RCU 1xe2x80x99, in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Nemesia are not as compact as plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98RCU 1xe2x80x99.
2. Plants of the new Nemesia are more floriferous than plants of the cultivars xe2x80x98RCU 1xe2x80x99.
3. Plants of the new Nemesia have dark purple-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98RCU 1xe2x80x99 have red purple-colored flowers.
Plants of the new Nemesia can be compared to plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Blueberry Sachetxe2x80x99, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Encinitas, Calif., plants of the new Nemesia differed from plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Blueberry Sachetxe2x80x99 in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Nemesia were denser and bushier than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Blueberry Sachetxe2x80x99.
2. Plants of the new Nemesia flowered about one week later than plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Blueberry Sachetxe2x80x99.
3. Plants of the new Nemesia had dark purple-colored flowers whereas plants of the cultivar xe2x80x98Blueberry Sachetxe2x80x99 had blue-colored flowers.